Match-safe.



Patented Aug. l4, I900.

n A S 0 CH nlu m J-M 9 5 5 0 N [Apylication filed Feb}, 1900.)

(No llodel.)

JOHN A. COOPER, OF ADAIR, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. O. SAVAGE ANDG. W. GOODHART, OF SAME PLACE.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,689, dated August14, 1900.. Application filed February 2, 1900. Serial No. 3,709. 1V0model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. COOPER, aciti- Zen of the United States,residing at Adair, in the county of Adair and State of Iowa,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Safes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of matchsafes in which a quantityof matches is contained within a holder and the bottom of the holder isgrooved and capable of sliding horizontally, so that when the groove isunder the receptacle a single match will drop into it and when thebottom is pulled forwardly the match may be grasped.

The object of this invention is to provide asafe of this class whichshall be of simple,

durable, and inexpensive construction and in which the sliding bottom isformed complete of a single piece of sheet metal and so arranged as tooperate accurately in connection with matches of ordinary sizes andshapes and so constructed as to work equally well when the heads of thematches are lying in either direction within the receptacle.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, andparticularly in the formation of the sliding bottom piece, whereby theobjects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 shows the entire match-safe in perspective.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical central sectional view of the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate a strip of sheet metal the upper end ofwhich is flat and provided with an opening 11 to receive a nail or hookwhereby thedevice may be suspended from a wall. The lower end of thepart 10 projects forwardly at 12 and then straight downwardly at 13.

The reference numeral 14 indicates the sides and front of thematch-safe, which parts are secured by solder or other means to thesides of the part 12, said sides projecting rearwardly to a point inalinement with the part 10.

The reference-numeral 15 indicates a hinged outwardly to form the tracks17.

cover pivotally connected with the sides 14 by means of the pintle 16.The lower edge of the sheet-metal sides 14 are bent straight In theaccompanying drawings I have shown an auxiliary' back piece 18, arrangedin alinement with the part 10 and connected by solder to the sides 14:and projected a considerable distance below the sides 14. This part may,however, be dispensed with, if desired. The

bottom of the match-safe is formed complete of a single piece ofsheetmetal and comprises aflat solid bottom 19 of substantially the samewidth as the space between the part 13 and the front of the safe. Theends of this bottom piece 19 are bent upwardly and then inwardly at 20to overlap the tracks 17. The central portion of the front edge of thebottom is bent downwardly, then forwardly, and curved at 21, thusproviding means whereby an operator may press his thumb or fingeragainst the bottom to push it rearwardly. At opposite sides of the part21 two brackets are formed. These brackets comprise strips 22, formedintegral with the bottom to project straight forwardly in parallelplanes and having the downwardly-curved portions or pockets 23, thenbent straight forwardly at 24 beyond the pockets, then curved rearwardlyand backwardly at 25 under the bottom 19, and finally upwardly at thepoint 26. This part 25 serves as a brace, is connected with the bottomby solder or other suitable means, and it touches the lower surface ofthe depression or pocket 23.

On each side of the forward edge of the bottom 19, between theextensions thereon and the ends 20, I have curved the metal downwardlyat 27, thus providing means whereby the heads of matches in thereceptacle will not be engaged by the sharp edge of the bottom.

A spring 28 is fixed to the rear of the part 12 and its ends engage therear surface of the bottom 19. Hence when the bottom is pushed to itsrearward limit and the pressure removed therefrom the said spring willforce the bottom to its forward limit.

Within the interior of the receptacle is a rectangular weight 29 to restupon the top of the matches and to hold them in substan tially-parallelplanes within the receptacle.

In practical use it is obvious that the sev eral parts ofthe match-safemay be made by dies from sheet metal and put together either bysoldering'or riveting. The bottom is connected with the device by firstbending the rear ends 26 straight, then placing the ends 20 of thebottom piece upon the tracks 17, and moving the bottom rearwardly untilthe ends 26 are in the rear of the part 13. Then these ends 26 are bentupwardly, whereupon the device is ready for use. Assuming that thereceptacle is filled with matches, it is obvious that when an operatorby pressing his thumb or finger upon the part 21 moves the bottomrearwardly all of the matches within the interior of the receptacle willrest wholly upon the strips or brackets at the front edge of the bottompiece. It is obvious that because the heads of the matches are ofgreater diameter than the body portions thereof the said heads mayproject downwardly as far as need be beyond the said brackets, becausethere is no bottom portion beneath the heads of the matches, and,furthermore, on account of the size of the depressions or pockets 23only one match may rest therein. Then when the pressure is removed fromthe part 21 the spring 28 obviously forces the bottom forwardly,whereupon the match may readily be grasped, because its entire centralportion between the brackets is exposed. It is obvious, further, that bybending the bottom downwardly at 27 the bottom willnot strike againstthe heads of the matches in such. a way as to cause them to be ignited.Furthermore, it is obvious that by bending the ends of the bracketsrearwardly under the bottom and then upwardly in the rear of the bottomthe said brackets are firmly braced, because the central portion of theunder part engages the bottom of the depression or pocket 23 and isfixed by solder or the like to the bottom 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is- I 1. An improvedmatchsafe, comprising in combination, a suitable match -receptacle openat its bottom, and having tracks in a horizontal plane at its sides nearthe bottom, a bottom piece, for the receptacle, made of sheetmetal,having its ends bent forwardly and'outwardly to overlap saidtracks, two integral, forwardly-extending brackets, each having a pockettherein, on the said bottom, and yielding pressure devices for normallyholding said bottom to the forward limit of its movement.

2. An improved match=safe, comprising in combination, amatch-receptacle, having its back piece inclined forwardly to a positionnear the vertical center of its side piece, tracks on the lower part, oredges of said side pieces, a bottom piece made complete of a singlepiece of sheet metal, with its edges turned to overlap said tracks andhaving at its forward edge two forwardly-projecting parts, with pocketsor depressions therein, said forwardly projecting parts being designedto assume a position under the matchreceptacle when the bottom is movedto its rearward limit, and yielding pressure devices for normallyholding said bottom to its forward limit.

JOHN A. COOPER. Witnesses:

A. C. SAVAGE, JOHN RnIMnRs.

